What Makes Us Strong: Urban Aboriginal Perspectives on Wellness and Strength

1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Collin P. Van Uchelen ◽  
Sara Florence Davidson ◽  
Seanna V. A. Quressette ◽  
Charles R. Brasfield ◽  
Lou H. Demerais
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Health Planning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
Nations People ◽  
Downtown Eastside ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
First Nations People

The limitations of a needs orientation for aboriginal mental health planning are evaluated in terms of the discrepancy between First Nations and western medical paradigms of health. We propose an alternative approach that focuses on how aboriginal people conceptualize wellness and describe their strengths. This provides a focus for initiatives that promote well-being by enhancing strengths rather than concentrating solely on deficits. We illustrate this approach by highlighting the indigenous knowledge of urban First Nations people in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. We conclude that supporting existing strengths promotes wellness in holistic, culturally appropriate, and empowering ways.

scholarly journals The Preventing Dementia MOOC: Contribution to First Nations’ Health and Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 11-11
Author(s):  
Lynette Goldberg ◽  
Dianne Baldock
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Modifiable Risk Factors ◽  
Nations People ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
First Nations People ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Dementia is a global public health issue. First Nations people are at increased risk due to complex intergenerational factors grounded in inequalities in health services and economic and educational opportunities. While there is yet no drug-related cure for this progressive and terminal neurological condition, evidence confirms that increased understanding of dementia and modification of lifestyle factors can reduce risk. The primary potentially modifiable risk factors are not completing secondary school, midlife hypertension, obesity, type II diabetes, depression, physical inactivity, smoking, hearing loss acquired after the age of 55 years, and social isolation. Inherent in these factors is stress, affecting mental health. Addressing these factors globally could prevent or delay over 40 million cases of dementia. The free Preventing Dementia Massive Open Online Course (PD MOOC) is a globally recognized 4-week course that aims to build self-efficacy in knowledge and management of modifiable risk factors. The course has reached over 68,000 people world-wide and is rated highly; however, its contribution to First Nations communities has not yet been investigated. We describe the content of the PD MOOC, report on its impact in a cohort of older Aboriginal people (≥ 50 years of age) in Circular Head, Tasmania, Australia six months after course completion, and emphasize the importance of including traditional approaches to healing. We describe a protocol in which cultural determinants of health can be infused into the PD MOOC and evaluated to promote health and well-being globally for older First Nations people.

First Nations Counsellor Training in British Columbia: Strengthening the Circle

1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rod M. McCormick
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Counsellor Training ◽  
Counselling Services ◽  
Nations People ◽  
First Nations People ◽  
People Today

First Nations people in British Columbia are struggling to overcome the effects of assimilationist practices and cultural loss. Many of the mental health problems facing First Nations people today can be traced to this loss. Their communities believe the best way to address this problem is by training their own people as mental health professionals who could then provide informed and culturally relevant counselling services. In the spring of 1996 a provincewide survey was conducted to determine the nature of counsellor training needed by First Nations people in the province of British Columbia. This article describes the rationale for this survey and the results.

First Nations Community Well-Being Research and Large Data Sets: A Respectful Caution

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra S. Drawson ◽  
Aislin R. Mushquash ◽  
Christopher J. Mushquash
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Large Data Sets ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Nations People ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Traditional Language ◽  
First Nations People

Health researchers are increasingly encouraged to use large, community-level data sets to examine factors that promote or diminish health, including social determinants. First Nations people in Canada experience disparity in a range of social determinants of health that result in relatively low community well-being scores, when compared to non-First Nations people. However, First Nations people also possess unique protective factors that enhance well-being, such as traditional language usage. Large data sets offer First Nations a new avenue for advocating for supports and services to decrease health inequity while developing culture-based evidence. However, care must be taken to ensure that these data are interpreted appropriately. In this paper, we respectfully offer a cautionary note on the importance of understanding culture and context when conducting First Nations health research with large data sets. We have framed this caution through a narrative presentation of a simple and concrete example. We then outline some approaches to research that can ensure appropriate development of research questions and interpretation of research findings.

Country Is Yarning to Me: Worldview, Health and Well-Being Amongst Australian First Nations People

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 944-960
Author(s):  
Mareese Terare ◽  
Margot Rawsthorne
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Social Determinant ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Creation Story ◽  
Nations People ◽  
First Nations People

Abstract Health inequalities experienced by Australian First Nations People are amongst the most marked in the world, with First Nations People dying some ten years earlier than non-Indigenous Australians. The failure of existing responses to health inequalities suggests new knowledges and questions that need to be explored. It is likely that these new knowledges sit outside of western research or practice paradigms. Through the Indigenous practice of yarning, the importance of worldview and Country emerged as an under-acknowledged social determinant of Australian First Nations People well-being. Yarning is a process of storytelling that involves both sound and silence. It requires embodied deep listening through which stories emerge that create new knowledge and understanding. We anchor our learning by re-telling John’s creation story, a story of healing through discovering his Aboriginal Worldview through reconnecting to Country. Country for First Nations People is more than a physical place; it is a place of belonging and a way of believing. We argue for the recognition of trauma, recognition of diversity and the use of yarning in social work practice. We conclude that reconnecting to Aboriginal Worldview provides hopeful insights into the well-being of Australia’s First Nations People and the social determinants of health.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis in First Nations People of Alberta

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence W. Svenson ◽  
Sharon Warren ◽  
Kenneth G. Warren ◽  
Luanne M. Metz ◽  
Scott B. Patten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
General Population ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
European Ancestry ◽  
Fee For Service ◽  
Government Health ◽  
Male Ratio ◽  
Nations People ◽  
First Nations People

Background:Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is reported to be uncommon among North American aboriginals despite frequent intermarriage with people of European ancestry, but few population-based studies have been conducted. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of MS among First Nations aboriginal people in Alberta, Canada compared to the general population.Methods:All hospital in-patient and physician fee-for-service records between 1994 and 2002 where a diagnosis of MS was mentioned were extracted from government health databases in the province of Alberta. First Nations people can be identified since the federal government (Health Canada) pays health care insurance premiums on their behalf. Multiple Sclerosis prevalence per 100,000 population for both First Nations people and the general population of Alberta were calculated for each year during this time span.Results:Among First Nations in Alberta, MS prevalence was 56.3 per 100,000 in 1994 and 99.9 per 100,000 in 2002, an increase of 43.6%. In 2002 prevalence was 158.1 and 38.0 for females and males respectively, a female to male ratio of 4.2:1. Multiple Sclerosis prevalence among the general population of Alberta was 262.6 per 100,000 in 1994 and 335.0 per 100,000 in 2002, an increase of 21.6%. In 2002 prevalence was 481.5 and 187.5 for females and males respectively, a female to male ratio of 2.6:1. Peak prevalence for both First Nations and general population females in 2002 was age 50-59, also 50-59 for both First Nations and general population males.Conclusion:While MS prevalence in First Nations people is lower than in the general population of Alberta, it is not rare by worldwide standards.

scholarly journals Cultural safety for First Nations people in aged care

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Linda Michelle Deravin ◽  
Judith Anderson ◽  
Nicole Mahara
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Cultural Safety ◽  
Nations People ◽  
First Nations People

Estimating risks from exposure to methylmercury: Application to first nations people in Canada

1997 ◽  
Vol 97 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 107-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Hoover ◽  
Ryan Hill ◽  
Tom Watson
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Nations People ◽  
First Nations People

First Nations’ Survivance and Sovereignty in Canada during a Time of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-100
Author(s):  
Robyn K. Rowe ◽  
Julia Rowat ◽  
Jennifer D. Walker
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Scarlet Fever ◽  
Nations People ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
History Of ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
First Nations People

First Nations people in Canada have demonstrated and continue to demonstrate persistent and resilient cultural, linguistic, and traditional endurance: survivance. The devastation resulting from centuries of health pandemics such as smallpox, influenza, cholera, tuberculosis, measles, and scarlet fever reinforce the ongoing resilience of First Nations people, cultures, and traditions in Canada. Despite the history of pandemic-related trauma and a myriad of social, political, environmental, and health challenges, as well as the added burden that COVID-19 is placing on the healthcare system in Canada, First Nations’ organizations and leadership are enacting their inherent rights to sovereignty and governance. While First Nations are bracing for the expected negative impacts of COVID-19, they are doing so in ways that respect and honor their histories, cultures, languages, and traditions. First Nations are acting to protect some of the most vulnerable people in their communities including elders, knowledge keepers, and storytellers who carry with them irreplaceable traditional and cultural knowledges.

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